family vacation

After our flight had been delayed for an hour, we left the airport in Toronto near 1:00 am on 14 July to begin our family vacation. Finally we were in the air. I was not feeling too well as I had eaten something at the airport that my stomach did not agree with. I suspected I had a bit of food poisoning – though the flight attendants were convinced I was suffering from motion sickness. The flight was doubly uncomfortable for me (I do not enjoy flying) and I was relieved when we arrived in France. By the time we had landed in Paris, I was feeling better – and beginning to feel hungry (I had not eaten on the flight).

We were picked up at the airport by a family member who was pleased to see us. It was around 4pm on 14 July. It was Bastille day, one of France’s public holidays. Even though we were all feeling tired and desiring sleep, our host insisted we go out to eat a meal and afterwards go and watch the fireworks at the Eiffel tower. How could we say no? The first stop, though, was the supermarket where we bought a little food.

Loved the deli display at the supermarket.

French cheese. Yum!

French cheese.

Salami – I couldn’t wait to taste it again.

Thereafter we hopped into the car and drove to the Parisian city centre. From the parking we walked to the Champs Elysées, the main street in Paris. I hadn’t walked down this street in 29 years – and yet it felt like it had been yesterday. So much was the same – the wide sidewalks, the fast driving, and the uniqueness of the city.

A sight I remember well.

A street corner on the Champs Elysees.

Walking down the Champs Elysees.

Cars driving down the main road.

See the Arc de Triomphe in the background?

The restaurant we ate at.

We stopped at a restaurant (L’Alsace) to eat French cuisine as organised by my husband’s cousin – whom he met for the first time that evening. We ate hungrily and yet savoured the rich flavours of the food in front of us. Our first Parisian meal was delicious and definitely not a disappointment.

Table setting.

Butter and baguette!

My meal – salmon and potato.

My daughters ate penne.

Profiteroles for dessert.

Moi!

After chatting and eating, we walked to the Eiffel tower. The sun had set by then and we had been awake for a long time. (We had gained 6 hours while travelling).

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If we were having coffee, I would tell you that I am back from our family vacation – and have been for a week. We arrived last week Sunday in the early evening. We were exhausted from the trip and glad to be back home. We had spend some solid family time together in Paris and we had loved every minute of it. But we were tired – we had done a LOT of walking! At the end of the day on Sunday, my husband and I lay our heads down on our pillows with a sigh of pleasure. We had missed sleeping in our own bed covered by our own duvet.

Our family vacation in Paris was wonderful and I enjoyed walking the streets of this fair city after 29 years. Little things had changed, but so many things were the same. I enjoyed seeing things like the Eiffel Tower again, and remembering the walks I had taken down the Champs Élysées. It was a treat to see the paintings by Monet and Renoir again, as well as the painting of Napoleon’s coronation at the Louvre. The best thing for me about the vacation, however, was spending quality time with my family. Unlike when we went on holiday at a resort, the five of us were together all of the time. Eating together three times a day, we had the opportunity to talk a lot. Many meals were picnic-like , though we did treat ourselves a number of times at a restaurant.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that during the past week I attended a teacher’s workshop – even though I was not fully recovered from our vacation. The workshop was centred on Math for the K-2 grades. Even though I already knew most of what the presenters spoke about, I did learn a few nuggets that I will implement in my classroom this year. It is important, I feel, to keep on learning and to work on improving my teaching practice. In this way, I prevent boredom from setting in – and I figure out ways to reach all of the students in my class.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you that right now it is HOT. All I want to do is sit in front of the fans and read / watch Netflix. I have a number of books that I still want to read before I go back to school and have placed them on the table next to the bed. Our vacation in Paris meant that I did not have much opportunity to read in July as we had spent a lot of time sight seeing. I intend to play catch up during the month of August.

If we were having coffee (of course, iced), I would tell you that my plan for the forthcoming week is to do a little bit of tidying up in our place (if it is not too hot). I like the place to be cleaned from top to bottom before the school year starts as I do not have much chance to do so during the school year. I also plan to read, and to catch up on my book reviews – I have a number to do for the month of July. It is only a couple of weeks left before I begin to get ready for the new school year.

If we were having coffee, I would wish you a wonderful week. And if you are like me and live in Ontario, Canada enjoy the public holiday tomorrow.

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The time has arrived for our family vacation and in a few hours we will be taking a plane to Paris France. We have been saving a long time for this trip and have itched to get on the plane since we bought the tickets. We have read about the city, and planned the sights that we wish to see. Bags have been packed, and Canadian Dollars have been changed for Euros. As we lock the door to our home and walk away for 2 weeks, I leave with the knowledge that my days will be spent as a tourist. Blogging will take a back seat, and will probably be non-existent. I will, however, share moments with you when I get back from our trip. Until then, Au Revoir. 🙂